This Week's Special Guest Nina Pierce

This week at the AuthorIsland Tiki Hut, we welcome author Nina Pierce to talk about romance novels and her new book DECEIVE HER WITH DESIRE.

Award-winning erotic romance author, Nina Pierce, grew up in a house full of readers. So becoming enamored with books was only natural. She discovered romance stories in her early teens, falling hopelessly in love with knights in shining armor and the damsels who saved them.

Eventually, reading about alpha males and the journey to find their happy-ever-after endings wasn’t enough. She needed to pen her own stories of fated loves and soul mates. Nina’s discovered the passionate side of romance with her sexy stories. For her, it’s all about the sweet scent of seduction mixed with the heartwarming aroma of romance.

Nina resides in the northeast with her high school sweetheart and soul mate of twenty-seven years, their three grown children and several very spoiled cats who consider her “staff”.

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A Romance by Any Other Name
Nina Pierce

Like so many writers, I’ve read lots and lots and lots and lots of books. I read titles in a variety of genres from science fiction to historical, medical thrillers to mysteries, but I always come back to my all time favorite—romance. The wonderful thing about today’s romance is that it comes in all subgenres.

I’ve been finding blogs and twitter posts recently from readers who were incensed that the paranormal or urban fantasy book they were reading was classified as a romance. They were disgusted that the world was too well developed to be a romance, appalled the plot was too deep for romance or that the characters were too multi-dimensional to be romance. And I just want to scream. What the heck are they thinking about romance stories?

I’m a well educated woman. I’m neither lonely nor bored (though I’d happily suffer through a night of boredom *g*). I’m happily married to a wonderful man who fulfills my every need, often and on a regular basis. LOL! The point is, I don’t read romance to fill a missing void, I read romance because I enjoy it. *gasp* Yep, let me repeat that, romance stories offer me every subgenre I enjoy and I seek them out at the bookstore.

Of course this doesn’t surprise readers of romance. I’m not telling you anything you didn’t already know. I guess it’s just some of the general public out there that are very confused. I’ve heard people accuse romance writers of trying to disguise the true genre of their book through clever blurbs that boast rich characters and twisting plotlines. Yeah, whatever. We lovers of romance know that our reading tastes are based on good writing, solid stories and a love of the happy-ever-after, not a desire to fulfill an otherwise solitary existence. (Though a hunky hero or two never ruined my love of the romance genre. *wink*)

*** So tell me, what’s your favorite subgenre of romance? Anyone commenting will be eligible to win an ebook of “Blind Her With Bliss”, the first book in the Tilling Passions series and a set of romance trading cards. ***

Nina’s most recent romance release, “Deceive Her With Desire” is available for Kindle lovers (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0057XV0F4) Nook Lovers (http://tinyurl.com/6a8fqvy) and in all other digital formats at Smashwords (http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/68862)

BLURB:

A woman determined to protect her heart…

Landscaping in Delmont, Maine hasn’t been DEIRDRE TILLING’s only passion. Up until two months ago, it had included a live-in lover. Jilted for the third time in as many years, Deirdre’s decided to give up on love. With her feet firmly planted on the path of one night stands, she finds herself heating up the sheets with a dark haired stranger she met at her new employer’s party. But one night with the man who is both sexy as hell and compassionate, may not be enough.

An agent hell bent on proving himself…

DEA agent, AYDEN SCOTT, has a lot to prove after a disastrous drug bust in Miami three years earlier that left a member of his team dead. Working undercover as lead investigator, he’s determined to bring down an elusive drug cartel smuggling heroin into central Maine. He’ll use any means necessary to complete his objective, including sleeping with the suspected drug Lord’s landscaper, Deirdre. He just hadn’t expected the feisty redhead to be so much more than long legs and dangerous curves.

One night neither of them can forget…

Deirdre and Ayden both thought one sexually explosive romp in the sack would be the end of their relationship. But Deirdre’s arrest for heroin possession and her father’s near-fatal heart attack prompts Ayden to confess his true identity. When Deirdre is kidnapped by the drug cartel and used as a pawn, Ayden is forced to choose between his heart and his mission. The question is…who will survive his decision?

EXCERPT:
The sun glistening off the windshield of the Jag had finally burned off the early morning fog.

“Turn here. The farmhouse is only a couple more miles.” Deirdre’s voice was weak.

“Do you need me to call anyone? Rachel? Mark?” Ayden asked.

“No, I talked with Rach when she was at the hospital. She’s going to call Shawn and let him know about my dad. There are a couple of small jobs I put off, but Rachel will go there with Mark and crew.” A small laugh escaped. “Of course in the middle of all that, the witch forgot to mention she’d told my sister about the drug mess.”

Ayden reached over and squeezed her leg. “You’re pretty lucky to have such a supportive family.” She looked so small, so defenseless, huddled in the leather seat. He didn’t know how to make this better. Ayden had lost his family so long ago he didn’t know the kind of strength that came from sharing grief. He knew for certain, after her tearful confession to Julie and Meghan about the arrest, Deirdre had nothing to do with Jameson’s drug operation. She’d told him the truth.

He owed her the same. But how much worse could the timing be?

After Sunday, after they busted Jameson, he’d tell Deirdre everything, all the sordid details of his life. He just didn’t know if the reality would send her running in the opposite direction.

That would be his luck.

He’d started this relationship looking for a distraction, but Deirdre had quickly become so much more than a casual affair. He’d felt her defenses fall away last night with her clothes. She’d given all of herself to him and allowed him into her family. He looked over at the woman who’d tied his emotions in knots and worried about her reaction to his confession.

Her mother had pulled him aside while Deirdre was sitting with her father. Men hadn’t treated her daughter well, and Alice hoped Ayden’s intentions were honorable. He hoped like hell they were too. He hadn’t had time to sort that one out yet.

But if the night had proven anything to Ayden, it’s that he wanted what the Tillings had. Actually, he wanted Deirdre, the rest of the package was just icing.

The familiar burn of doubt heated his gut and he absently reached for the antacids in the glove box.

“You all right?” Deirdre asked.

“Too much vending machine coffee and not enough sleep.” He popped a couple of tablets. Yeah, not even close to the truth. The fact was, when the Jameson deal went down, there was no way he was going to be able to walk away from the sexy redhead who’d crawled into his bed and wrapped herself around his heart.

But he also knew, after the emotional turmoil of the past twelve hours, Deirdre sure as hell wasn’t ready to hear that confession.

Ayden pulled the Jag into the dooryard of the farmhouse. There weren’t any neighbors visible in either direction, cars either. It occurred to him Deirdre’s welfare had taken priority over his undercover work. Not a smart move on his part. Not when Jameson seemed to be breathing down his neck. He hadn’t really been on the top of his game over the last few hours.

There was nothing he could do about it now.

Deirdre reached for the door handle, too tired to open it, her hand fell back to her lap. “I need a shower,” she mumbled.

“What you need, Deirdre, is some food and rest. You barely ate anything at the diner. Meghan promised to call if there was any change. You don’t need to be back at the hospital until this afternoon. You guys have a pretty good system going there. Rotating shifts with your mom.” Lifting her hand, Ayden rubbed it against his lips. “I don’t have any pressing business meetings today. Everything I need to do can be done by phone. Let me take care of you.”

“I’d like that.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WIN - Leave Nina a comment or question this week at the AuthorIsland Tiki Hut and your name goes in the hat for a digital copy of her book BLIND HER WITH BLISS, the first book in the Tilling Passions series and a set of romance trading cards (for shipment to US or Canada only). Please leave your email address so we can contact you if you are this week's winner - Good Luck!

This Week's Special Guest At The Tiki Hut - Tim Smith

This week's special guest at the AuthorIsland Tiki Hut is Tim Smith as he stops by to talk about his new Vic Fallon Mystery Series.

Tim is the author of five novels, including two contemporary romantic comedies with eXtasy Books. His first three adventure novels starring the one and only Nick Seven have won critical acclaim and several awards. He is also a freelance photographer and works in Dayton, Ohio as a case manager for adults with special needs. When he isn't devoting time to writing, you can find him in The Florida Keys, doing research in between parasailing and seeking out the perfect Pina Colada.

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I’m pleased to be back at the Tiki Hut this week. Apparently I didn’t alienate too many visitors last time or I wouldn’t have been asked to return. This week I’m featuring my new novel, a romantic mystery called “The Bundle,” which was recently released by Extasy Books. I returned to my thriller roots with this one, after writing three romantic comedies. “The Bundle” is the first in a series I’m starting, about a former cop named Vic Fallon, who lives in Sandusky, Ohio, on the shores of Lake Erie.

This is no ordinary series of romance novels, though. Vic Fallon will be the only recurring character but he’ll have a different gal pal in each installment. It’s written in the style of Raymond Chandler and Donald E. Westlake, with a dash of Mickey Spillane thrown in for seasoning. Oh, I should mention that it’s also very erotic and contains some explicit sex.

I’ve been asked why I chose to set this story in northeast Ohio instead of my usual haunt, The Florida Keys. When I was conceiving the story I took a vacation to the Lake Erie islands, near where I grew up. As I looked at the lakefront scenery it hit me that I could set a story there and make it just as atmospheric as Florida. I also wanted to create a different feel for this series, since I already had three books set in The Keys featuring another male character, former CIA spook Nick Seven.

As in most of my romances, this one has a “happy for now” versus a “happily ever after” ending. I wanted to leave the ending of each installment open and have the reader guessing “Do they or don’t they...”

THE BUNDLE - A Vic Fallon Mystery by Tim Smith

Vic Fallon had little use for the rich and famous when he was a police detective and his attitude hasn't changed since he was forced to turn in his badge. When pop singer Kimberly Daniels returns to her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio to promote her latest album, Vic reluctantly agrees to be her bodyguard as a favor for a friend. He isn't told that she has a death threat hanging over her head, with no shortage of suspects.

The set-up takes a bizarre twist when her stalker shows up and Vic uncovers a family secret Kimberly would like to keep hidden. Things get more complex when they develop a strong attraction for each other, in spite of their different lifestyles. Can Vic ensure Kimberly's safety until she returns to LA? Will Kimberly decide to ditch her glitzy celebrity life and stay with the rugged ex-cop she's fallen for?

BUY THE eBOOK *** READ THE EXCERPT 
 
WIN - Leave Tim a comment this week at the AuthorIsland Tiki Hut and your name goes in the hat for a free download of his erotic romance THE SWEET DISTRACTION. Please leave your email address so we can contact you if you are this week's winner - Good Luck! And don't forget to check out his contest over on the http://www.authorisland.com/ contest page!

 

This Week's Special Guest At The Tiki Hut - Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Cheryl Kaye Tardif

This week at the AuthorIsland Tiki Hut, we welcome author Cheryl Kaye Tardif who stops by to talk about how she came to write a romance.

Cheryl is an award-winning, bestselling Canadian suspense author. Her novels include The River, Divine Intervention, and Whale Song, which New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice calls “a compelling story of love and family and the mysteries of the human heart...a beautiful, haunting novel."

Cheryl has finished two thrillers, Children of the Fog, and Divine Justice (book 2 in the Divine series), both of which are slated for publication in 2011. She also enjoys writing short stories, which has resulted in Skeletons in the Closet & Other Creepy Stories (short story collection) and Remote Control (novelette).

When she is not ruthlessly killing people off in her thrillers as bestselling Canadian suspense author, Cheryl Kaye Tardif, she is busy relaxing in her hot tub, sipping champagne, eating chocolate-covered strawberries and plotting romantic suspense with scintillating sensuality as romance author Cherish D'Angelo.

Cherish's debut romance, Lancelot's Lady placed in the semi-finals of Dorchester Publishing's "Next Best Celler" contest and went on to win an Editor's Choice Award from Textnovel. Currently living in Edmonton, Alberta, she enjoys long walks on the beach, except there aren't any around so she has to make do with trips around the hot tub or a vacation to a tropical paradise. And margaritas.



Booklist raves, “Tardif, already a big hit in Canada…a name to reckon with south of the border.”

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What inspired me to write Lancelot's Lady?

Many people have asked me: "What inspired you to switch genres, select a pen name and write a romance novel like Lancelot's Lady?" Well, unlike my other novels, I wasn't inspired by things that happened to me when I was a child (Whale Song), or my mom telling me about some river from which people went missing (The River), or my love of all things weirdly paranormal (Divine Intervention), or by Stephen King (Remote Control and Skeletons in the Closet). No, what inspired me to write Lancelot's Lady was much simpler than these. It all boiled down to one thing: I love a good love story.

When I was a young teen, I was fascinated by the books my mother brought home―ones with a gorgeous woman in a beautiful flowing dress on the front cover and often a barely dressed, dashing man gazing into her eyes. My mother would leave her books open and face down on the table, while she went to get more coffee, and sometimes I would sneak a peek and read a page.

In my home, everyone read. We had crappy TV stations; there wasn't much else to do. My father would read mainly sci-fi and computer books. My mother was into romance novels. My brother Derek read sci-fi and fantasy, and I read everything they did, plus mystery, suspense and horror. Nancy Drew, Dean R. Koontz and Stephen King were my three "best friends" back then. But then so were Danielle Steel, Iris Johansen and other romance authors.

A few years ago I decided to try my hand at a romance novel. I called it Reflections. It was to be a romantic suspense. I wrote about half of it and let a good friend read it. She liked it, but I wasn't sure I really was ready to become a romance author. So I put the manuscript away.

When Textnovel announced they'd partnered with Dorchester Publishing for the "Next Best Celler" contest, a contest where writers could text their chapters (or write via PC) one at a time to Textnovel and have readers vote and comment, I decided to dig up Reflections. After months of rewrites and fine tuning, Reflections merged into what is now Lancelot's Lady, a contemporary romantic suspense set in the Bahamas and showcasing one of the vilest villains I've ever created.

It made it through the contest and was voted as a semi-finalist. That's when I knew I was on the right track. Lancelot's Lady is a far better story than the original manuscript, Reflections, and Textnovel readers loved it. I am so happy that everyone now gets to read the complete novel.

Lancelot's Lady ~ A Bahamas holiday from dying billionaire JT Lance, a man with a dark secret, leads palliative nurse Rhianna McLeod to Jonathan, a man with his own troubled past, and Rhianna finds herself drawn to the handsome recluse, while unbeknownst to her, someone with a horrific plan is hunting her down.

Available in ebook edition at KoboBooks, Amazon's Kindle Store, Smashwords and other ebook retailers. Help me celebrate by picking up a copy today and "Cherish the romance..."

You can learn more about Lancelot's Lady and Cherish D'Angelo (aka Cheryl Kaye Tardif) at http://www.cherylktardif.com/  and http://www.cherylktardif.blogspot.com/ 

WIN - Leave Cheryl a question this week at the AuthorIsland Tiki Hut and your name goes in the hat for one of THREE ebook copies of her romantic suspense LANCELOT'S LADY!! Please leave your email address so we can contact you if you are one of our THREE WINNERS!!

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This Week's Special Guest - Jana Richards

This week we welcome Jana Richards, as she celebrates her new release FLAWLESS, a historical romantic suspense and talks about "The Male Perspective" in romance writing.

Jana Richards has tried her hand at many writing projects over the years, from magazine articles and short stories to paranormal suspense and romantic comedy. She loves to create characters with a sense of humor, but also a serious side. She believes there's nothing more interesting then peeling back the layers of a character to see what makes them tick.

When not writing up a storm, working at her day job as an Office Administrator, or dealing with ever present mountains of laundry, Jana can be found on the local golf course pursuing her newest hobby.

Jana lives in Western Canada with her husband Warren, along with two university aged daughters and a highly spoiled Pug/Terrier cross named Lou.

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The Male Perspective by Jana Richards

As a woman writer, I often wonder if I’m getting my male characters “right”. Romances are overwhelmingly written by women. Are the men in our stories too in touch with their feelings to be real? Are we representing men the way they are or the way we’d like them to be? Here are some of my thoughts about things to consider when constructing male characters.

What did you Say? Dialogue is one area where our male and female characters often differ. Women tend to be more verbal, using conversation to talk about their feelings and vent emotions. Men may feel their emotions as keenly as women, but they likely will not talk about them as much.

Vanessa Grant, in her book, “Writing Romance”, talks about a problem in one of her romance novels, “Pacific Disturbance”. In it, her male character makes a long speech to the heroine, thanking her for her work. In “Writing Romance”, Vanessa says she later regretted that speech because it was more like something a woman would say. A man would say “You’re doing a great job.” Short and sweet.

I feel, therefore I am. Most men won’t show their feelings or talk about them as much as women, no matter how strong their emotions. They will likely keep feelings bottled up inside, and often the only sign that they feel anything is through their body language. A clenched jaw or a fisted hand might be the only clue that your male character feels anger. Crossed arms may signal his annoyance and hostility. “The Definitive Book of Body Language” by Allan and Barbara Pease, is a great resource for authors. It helps to decipher what gestures, facial expressions and body positions really mean.

When the alpha male does show his emotions, it’s usually a spectacular display. One of my favorite scenes of an alpha male losing control is in Suzanne Brockman’s “Breaking Point”. Max has been in love with Gina for a long time, but has pushed her away because he believes that not only is he too old for her, he’s no good for her. When Gina is reported dead, Max reacts stoically, barely showing any emotion. But when he and a fellow FBI agent go to the morgue to identify her body, they discover that the body is not Gina’s. Max is totally overcome with emotion and relief, and simply falls to his knees, all his feelings totally on display.

Are you really going to wear that? Women tend to be more conscious of their appearance then men, and women are often more critical of their own appearance then men are. Unless he’s feeling self-conscious or insecure for some reason, a man wouldn’t think very much about what he’s wearing. He would, however, notice what the heroine is wearing, especially if she looks particularly sexy. But he probably couldn’t tell her what she’s wearing. Most men, especially Alpha men, wouldn’t be familiar with different types of women’s fashion. If your hero, in his internal monologue, begins thinking about the heroines’ cornflower blue slip dress with spaghetti straps, and fitted bodice designed by Versace, it may not ring true. More likely, he’d be thinking about the short, sexy blue dress that hugged all her curves and showed off acres of creamy bare skin.

Talk dirty to me. Men think more about sex then women do. It’s probably a given that your hero is going to have one or two carnal thoughts about the heroine. Your hero will likely make up his mind quite quickly about the desirability of the heroine as a sexual partner.

A woman may express her love through words or gestures. Men tend to express their love through sex. A partner making love to him is the ultimate affirmation of love for many men.

Me Tarzan, you Jane. Men like to think of themselves as heroes, as protectors and breadwinners. If a woman comes to a man with a problem, he’ll try to “fix” it for her, even if all she really wants to do is talk. Above all, men like to be thought of as useful.

Perhaps the best way to write a good male perspective is to read works written by men. Also, you might want to ask male friends or family to read parts of your book to see if your male characters ring true.

These sweeping generalizations don’t necessarily apply to all men or all male characters. While we want to make our male characters believable, we have to keep in mind that our mostly female readership may not want “real life”, but perhaps an idealized life. Romance heroes are men as women would like them to be.

What do you do to give your male characters the ring of truth? Do you agree that the romance hero represents men the way women would like them to be?

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WIN - Leave a comment or question for Jana this week at the AuthorIsland Tiki Hut and your name goes in the hat for a free download of her brand new book - FLAWLESS! Please leave your email address so we can contact you if you are this week's winner - good luck!

This Week's Special Guest Tim Smith

This week's special guest is Tim Smith with a special interview with the hero of his action-packed romantic suspense novels, a former CIA agent named Nick Seven.

Tim Smith is an award-winning author of numerous books, ranging from thrillers to contemporary erotic romance. He is also a freelance photographer and when he isn’t pursuing these two passions, he works in the human services field as a case manager for adults with disabilities.

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Today we’d like to introduce Nick Seven, a former CIA agent who lives in Key Largo, Florida.

Nick, how do you feel about the renewed interest in your adventures?

Nick: I think it’s about time more people had a chance to read about my exploits, even though they’ll never hear the real juicy stuff I did when I worked around the world tracking down terrorists. I could tell some good stories, but I’d have to kill anyone who read them.

Yes, your adventures are now limited to The Florida Keys, aren’t they? How did you end up there?

Nick: When I decided to quit the bureaucratic nightmare known as the CIA, I couldn’t decide where I wanted to settle. I could’ve gone to Italy, Germany, Bermuda, Rio, you name it, but I’d been to The Keys and something about the laid-back atmosphere hooked me like a marlin and reeled me in. Besides, I’ve always loved fresh seafood and the sunsets are to die for.

Okay, inquiring minds have to ask about Felicia, the beauty from Barbados you’re living with. In your first adventure, “Memories Die Last,” you two are reunited when the CIA drafts you back into action, but we can tell there’s a spark there. Anything you can add?

Nick: To put it bluntly, Felicia is sex on two feet – bronzed skin, long woven hair, sensual eyes, the cutest West Indies accent and a body a supermodel would kill for. She also has a right cross that’ll bring a wrestler to his knees. Felicia was a member of my team when I was assigned to England. There were some sparks at first but I couldn’t do anything about it because I’d recently gotten married to a young Scottish woman I’d fallen hopelessly in love with.

Unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be and after my lovely bride was killed by a terrorist who was after me, Felicia really came to my emotional rescue. When the spooks in Washington conned me into coming back for one more case, there she was. We just picked up where we should’ve started a few years earlier. Good things come to those who wait, right?

In one of your adventures, “Never Trust Your Dreams,” you both are used as pawns by the CIA and Felicia is kidnapped by a rogue agent to force your cooperation. How did you respond to that?

Nick: It was déjà vu all over again, a nightmare I wasn’t about to relive. I’d already lost the one person I thought I’d ever love and there was no way in hell I was going to lose my second chance at happiness. Before Felicia came back I’d been going through life on auto-pilot, from one meaningless hook-up to another. She reminded that there’s more to it than that. In that same story I got framed for murdering a former girlfriend and had to outwit the cops and the girl’s filthy rich S.O.B. of a father. Funny, but I thought when I left covert intelligence my life would be a bit less eventful!

One reviewer said “Nick Seven is the kind of guy your mother wouldn’t let you play with.” Is that an accurate assessment?

Nick: That probably explains why I had such a lonely childhood. Seriously, I suppose some of my rougher edges turn off a few people, but when they take the time to know me I’m really a pussycat. I just don’t show it very well or very often.

Except with Felicia?

Nick: Geez, what is this, a Dr. Phil segment? Okay, I admit she’s managed to housebreak me, but I’m still the same tough guy I always was. Can we get onto another subject now?

Sorry for striking a nerve. You thought you’d gotten away from the intrigue after your first two adventures, but in the third one, “The Vendetta Factor,” you really got thrown for a loop when you were dragged into the middle of a Mafia turf war in Miami. How did you feel about that?

Nick: I think thoroughly pissed about covers it. All I did was help out a friend, a professional gambler named Rock Moretti, who used to own my club in Key Largo before opening a floating casino off Palm Beach. ‘I’m having some trouble,’ he says. ‘Come out to the boat and check things out. Nothing to it.’ Ha! How the hell did I know some Don in New York was putting the squeeze on him to sell out? Moretti didn’t share that piece of information with me and I didn’t find out until it was too late that another Don in Miami had a vested interest in keeping this other guy out of his back yard. Sometimes I think I’ll never learn.

That story gave you one of your most dangerous adversaries, didn’t it?

Nick: You mean the hit man, Tony the Crease? Yeah, he was a tough character, but Felicia and I managed to show him a couple of new tricks when he came after me. We actually ended up having a hell of a time with that adventure, but we never did settle the argument about whether Frank Sinatra or Julius LaRosa had the bigger impact on pop culture.

Frank Sinatra or Julius LaRosa? What was that about?

Nick: Read the book and find out.

So what does the future hold for you and Felicia?

Nick: Probably more adventures, whether we want them or not. I’m just trying to live my life in my personal corner of paradise, but this Tim Smith cat won’t let me do that. What did I ever do to this guy, anyway? As to Felicia, I sort of proposed when she came to live with me, but I get the impression that if I don’t keep out of trouble, she’ll pack her bags and haul ass back to Barbados – which she’s threatened to do more than once, by the way.

***

 

This Tuesday At The Tiki Hut - Nina Pierce

Today's special guest at the Tiki Hut is author Nina Pierce. Nina grew up in a house of readers. So falling in love with books was only natural. In her teen years she found her mother's romance books and became forever hooked on the journey of finding one's true love. Now, if you throw in a dead body and some mayhem, Nina is in reader nirvana.

A few years ago, reading about love wasn't enough. She is now driven to write stories of alpha-males with a chink in their armor and the kick-ass women who fall in love with them. And true to what she loves, more often than not, you'll find some suspense thread running through her plots, hopefully with enough twists to keep her readers turning the pages, staying up late, and burning dinner.

A native of Maine, Nina lives in what she affectionately calls "the great white North". She is fortunate to have married her high school sweetheart and true love twenty-five years ago. They share their lives with three grown children and a menagerie of pets.

To learn how you can win a free download of Nina's BLIND LOVE, head to AuthorIsland.com today and check out today's Book of the Day!

Visit Nina's Website *** Visit Nina's Myspace *** Visit Nina's Blog

Say That Again
by Nina Pierce

Like most authors, I was a voracious reader long before I decided to write my first novel. There is nothing I enjoy more than losing myself in a great story. Sometimes the writing is so vivid and the journey of the characters so compelling that I hate to get to the last page. I don’t want to read those two little words “The End”. NOOO! Tell me more! I want to find out what happens to the hero’s brother and the pregnant wife who left him for all the wrong reasons.

Enter series writing.

The first series I remember losing myself in was the science fiction Freedom series by Anne McCaffrey. I love those books. I picked up the first one at the local library, not knowing it was a series until I was half way through. I immediately went to the library and signed out the second, only to discover (argh!) the library didn’t have the third. I drove to the local bookstore and picked up the third book in the series that day! Anne McCaffrey had pulled me into her world and I had no desire to leave until everyone got their happy-ever-after!

James Patterson also hooked me into his “Alex Cross” series. I diligently read each book as they came out, excited to find out what Mr. Patterson would do next to this poor man. Then of course, there were all the families Nora Roberts wrote about, each brother, sister, and grandparent with their own journeys of love to catalogue and enjoy. So many authors I love to read have wonderful series. I can’t name them all, but suffice it to say … I just love series books!

Hmmm … maybe there’s something to this.

When I sat down to write my first novel I decided I too would like to eventually hook readers into a world and keep them there. My first erotic suspense book “The Healer’s Garden” (published by Liquid Silver Books in December 2007) stands alone, but it is purposefully open-ended and I already have outlines for books two and three.

There are many types of series writing, but the one I enjoy reading and writing the most are trilogies. There is a major plot running through the series, but the hero and heroine of each novel resolve a minor plot and find their happy-ever-after and the major plot isn’t resolved until the end of the third book. Usually the characters in this type of series are related in some way, either by friendship, a curse, location or blood bonds. (Nora Roberts’ “Three Sisters Island Trilogy” or Michelle Bardsley’s “Broken Heart” series) It is a challenge to keep the major plot line woven into the minor plot of each book, but the payoff is worth the work! I can’t put this type of series down until I’ve read all three books and I can’t stop writing them until I’ve given each character their happy ending.

But trilogies aren’t the only type of series available to a reader or an author. There are also the series where the author uses the same hero/ine in each novel. Each story resolves a major plot, but the arc of the main character is a slow progression. At the end of these books, you understand our hero/ine has much to learn and there is still so much more growth potential. (Janet Evanovich’s “Stephanie Plum” stories or Tess Gerritsen’s “Jane Rizzoli” series) In that same vein are the series where each book highlights a different character, the major plot is resolved, but new and old characters continue to pop up. (Sally MacKenzie’s “Naked” series or Suzanne Brockman’s “Troubleshooter” series)

These authors have all figured out how to hook their readers and keep them waiting on tenterhooks until the next book is released.

So, when you sit down to plot your next novel--consider writing a series. Your readers could be just one book away from falling in love with a whole new world of characters and waiting with baited breath for your next book!

Nina Pierce writes erotic suspense novels. Blind Love, the first novella in her Tilling Passions series was a liquid erotic release in April 2008 from Liquid Silver Books (http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/). The second and third books released in the summer of 2008. Visit her on the web at http://www.ninapierce.com/.

This Tuesday At The Tiki Hut - Marie Nicole Ryan

Award-winning romantic suspense author Marie-Nicole Ryan has four books published with Samhain Publishing. The sensuality levels range from mild to “scorcher”. One book is a mystery/suspense, One Too Many—that’s the milder one. She’s a 2008 EPPIE winner for her erotic romantic suspense, Too Good to be True. This year, One Too Many is up for a 2009 EPPIE in the mystery suspense category and Marie-Nicole should know if she won by the time you read this. She has two other romantic suspense novels with Samhain, Love on the Run and Holding Her Own and is almost finished with a historical western novella.

What ever possessed her to write a mystery/suspense when her previous books were all romantic suspense? Here’s what she said.

I just had to write a follow-up story to Love on the Run. One Too Many starts right where LOTR left off: David and Randi’s honeymoon. They are two of my favorite characters and I just had to let readers know how American musician Miranda (Randi) Raines adjusts to being the wife of one of Scotland Yard’s detective chief inspectors, as well as being Lady Middlebury. Plus, I had so much fun researching the beautiful East Anglia countryside, weather, tide tables, train schedules, et cetera. I even corresponded by e-mail with a sergeant of the Metropolitan Police, Firearms Policy Unit. I’ve always been a fan of British mysteries, both in books and on TV and movies, so this book was a joy to write.

Randi is an impulsive gal, but she’s also the mother of a young boy by her first disastrous marriage. How she and David came together and formed this brand new family is told in LOTR (not The Lord of the Rings one). I hope to continue their journey in the future, but since my current publisher isn’t publishing mainstream novels, I’ll be on the lookout for a new publisher for that possible series.

Marie loves to hear from readers at marie@marienicoleryan.com You can read excerpts from her books at http://marienicoleryan.com/. She also maintains MySpace and Facebook pages. She posts regularly at Marie Blogs About Writing and Shades of Suspense. And if you have any desire to hear about her boring daily life, you can follow her on Twitter, too.

Marie-Nicole loves living in Nashville, Tennessee where her favorite activities when not plunked down in front of her computer are checking out the local antique shops (like Randi does in OTM) and meeting friends for lunch, especially writer friends. She’s addicted to entirely too many TV shows: NCIS; Bones; The Closer; Burn Notice; and The Mentalist. These shows all have one thing in common—great characters and touches of humor. She hopes you’ll find the same in each of her books.